Captain Marvelous
With a combative, undefeated half-century in the Delhi Capitals’ close four-run victory against the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League today, Rishabh Pant all but guaranteed his place as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup.
Axar Patel and Skipper Pant combined for a scorching partnership of 113 runs off 68 balls, which they used to propel DC to 224/4 in their crucial match.
Sai Sudarshan (65 off 29) and David Miller (55 off 23) each scored fifty runs in response, and Rashid Khan struck a 21-run stand off of 11 balls, but they were unable to push GT above 220/8 in their 20 overs.
Pant was sent in to bat and led from the front, finishing unbeaten at 88 off 43 balls. His performance served as a useful reminder to the national selectors, who, barring any fitness concerns, are likely to include him in India’s starting XI against Pakistan in the World T20 contest in New York.
Pant demonstrated his maturity by skillfully timing his innings with Axar, who scored 66 off 43 balls after moving up to the No. 3 position. There were four sixes and five fours throughout his innings.
GT lost captain Shubman Gill in the second over of their 225-run chase, but Wriddhiman Saha (39), along with Impact Sub, produced some lovely hits. To keep GT in the chase, Sai Sudharsan shared 82 runs for the second wicket. After being granted a respite in the fifth over, Sudharsan made excellent use of his long handle to reach fifty off only 29 balls. However, when the asking rate continued to rise, Sudharsan was forced to take risks, which ultimately proved to be his undoing.
After then, Miller (55 off 23) put on a display to move them closer to the goal. Rashid smashed Mukesh Kumar for two fours and a six to cut the lead to five runs off the last ball, with 19 runs needed off the final over. However, Mukesh maintained his composure to win. — PTI
Quick scores
GT: 220/8 in 20 overs (Sudharsan 65, Miller 55, Rasikh 3/44) against. DC: 224/4 in 20 overs (Pant 88*, Axar 66; Warrier 3/15).
The outcome on Tuesday
LSG: 213/4 in 19.3 overs (Stoinis 124*, Pooran 34; Pathirana 2/35) against. CSK: 210/4 in 20 overs (Gaikwad 108*, Dube 66, Henry 1/28)
CSK seeking to close gaps
Chennai: After suffering their fourth defeat in eight games, the Super Kings are prepared to allow players like Daryl Mitchell some time to acclimate to life in the top three. Head coach Stephen Fleming is not searching for a “quick fix” to his team’s hitting problems. Fleming said that they must adjust their batting lineups after their crushing home defeat at the hands of LSG. It involves both form and the search for that (combination). We’re attempting to strike the ideal balance since we’re a little uneasy in certain situations,” he said.
